Reawakening
by Tiffany Smithi
Summary: Spoilers for All or Nothing. After Aurene's death, Commander Tiffany allows herself time to mourn - it's expected, for once. (And sneaks some time for the others who have died, as well.) Then, Caithe and Canach feel the Pale Tree calling them, and bring Tiffany along. Turns out, the Pale Tree has a sneaky surprise: the new sylvari saplings aren't 'new' at all. No pairings.
1. Chapter 1: The Summons

REAWAKENING

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Summary: Commander Tiffany Solestrider mourns Aurene. She is very much expected to. She hadn't been able to mourn anyone else - there were things to be done, people to be strong for. But if she doesn't at least appear to mourn Aurene, people might think she's gone crazy. But she also allows herself time for the others who died. And then, the Call begins again. Just kidding! It is the Pale Tree.

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Chapter one: The Summons

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

I should be writing the _Tassof Series_, shouldn't I. But this idea seized me and wouldn't let go. So...

And this may or may not be a oneshot. Just saying.

Oh, and massive spoilers for Living World Season 4: All or Nothing.

_**Okay, here's the story now:**_

* * *

Commander Tiffany Solestrider does not know what to do. Aurene is dead, Kralkatorrik is still alive, and... well... Tiffany is done.

Ever since Mordremoth, failure after failure. She'd bottled it up, funneled it into defeating the Elder Dragons, but now...

Eir. Trahearne. Blish. Forgal. Tonn. Zott. Now, Aurene. Her _friends_.

Trahearne especially - even though she feels horrible for thinking it, it's true. He'd been her friend, her guiding light after Forgal died, more than Forgal's legacy would have been. _That_ spurred her on - she just needed direction. She was bad at giving herself much direction, even then.

And then Trahearne had stepped in, showing her where to go. And, in turn, she had helped him when he needed it. He had led the Pact to victory against Zhaitan, with her leading the most crucial missions. He had completed his Wyld Hunt - cleansed Orr - with her cheering him on every step of the way.

She had felt lost and alone when Scarlet started her terror campaign. Trahearne had been rebuilding the Pact, and she had been... running around Lion's Arch, chasing after a mad sylvari. She'd only succeeded by pulling together _another_ unlikely group.

Then, the aftermath of _the Breachmaker _exploding. Somehow, she hadn't seen Trahearne again until the World Summit in the Grove, after which there was no time for talking or catching up.

Little time for anything, with another Elder Dragon on the rise.

She had known that the Pact Fleet could very well leave without her, but it still hurt a little to find that they had. That hurt quickly overshadowed by news of the crash. She'd been as eager as Braham to find Mordremoth's prisoners.

Eir's death had been a shocking blow. She had been unable to move for several seconds after the fatal wound; then she had leaped into battle with the Vinetooth that had killed her. But too late; she was dead.

Tiffany had pushed on, anxious as to the fate of Logan, Zojja, and Trahearne.

Zojja and Logan's safety - and startling close calls - only made her more anxious. When she'd awakened from Mordremoth's mind, she had been relieved to see Trahearne upright and more alert than he had been, only to be devastated upon being told the bad news. Particularly since it was her fault for not getting there soon enough.

The Mordremoth Disaster, as she calls it, had been a monumental failure, on every count. Except killing Mordremoth, of course. His death had been a good thing. But nothing else. And yes, calling Mordremoth 'him' rather than 'it' is an odd psychological development.

Ever since then, failure. Failure again. She, by herself, had done nothing. The White Mantle were only stopped from wrecking Divinity's Reach by Queen Jennah's mesmer magic. Lazarus the Dire was Livia's doing. If Trahearne had been there, Balthazar wouldn't have gotten his hands on Taimi's modified Omadd-machine.

Tiffany herself had been killed by Balthazar. She'd been sorely tempted to not go back. She'd paused for a long time at the portal out of the Domain of the Lost, balancing the pros and cons. So many people had died... she would very much like to see them again. But she has a duty to her world to see the Elder Dragons dead.

She had specifically taken up that goal when Trahearne died! His purpose had been to cleanse Orr, true; and yet afterward, he had thrown himself into defeating the Elder Dragons. Tiffany had taken up that mantle once he died... she has to go back.

And yet... it would be so easy. To just _stay here_. Get her final judgement, then go explore the Mists, looking for Trahearne, Eir, Forgal, and the rest.

She'd pictured her meeting with them. And then she'd realized... she would never be able to face them - _any_ of them - if they knew she could have returned to finish up, and didn't.

She'd stepped through the portal then, and instantly realized what an idiot she had been. She couldn't leave behind Kasmeer, Rytlock, Canach, Taimi, Rox, Braham, Marjory, Logan, Zojja, Caithe, Aurene... the list of those alive is much long than the list of those dead.

And when she finally defeated Balthazar - that was Aurene and Sohothin. Sohothin's warmth had been scary, at first. She had been extremely reluctant to take it. What if Rytlock had to die by her hand, as well? What if she had to take up Sohothin as she had Caladbolg, in his memory?

She had been relieved to hand the blade back to Rytlock. The now-familiar hilt of Caladbolg was much more comforting - the memory it had given her gives her an illusion that part of Trahearne is within the blade, somehow. At least his memory.

Then, Blish. She _had_ turned back for him when he told her the truth. She wouldn't let another person die.

And she is still going to go back for him, once Kralkatorrik is dead. She can easily reboot his little golem body - the tracker will not need powering once the Elder Dragon is dead. And if Kralkatorrik ate him, too, along with Sohothin, then she would very well climb into the dead dragon's throat, if only to make sure he is dead. If he isn't, she is not going to contemplate leaving him in a state of shut-down. If she can't power him on, she'll destroy him. She is sure Gorrik and Taimi will agree.

And now, Aurene. Without the odd Champion-bond thing, Aurene would have simply been another bystander, most likely; possibly another Vlast; even if she was as involved as she had been. Another death on her hands, nothing more. Not that that is a small burden; but she wouldn't have had the added grief of a prior friendship.

But with the bond... Aurene had not taken Trahearne's place, by any means, but she made a fair attempt - failed attempt, to be sure, but the intent is what counts - to imitate him. Probably based off of knowing Tiffany's memories - Tiffany tries to imitate him every day.

Aurene and Tiffany had been at least as close as Forgal had been before he died.

Tiffany wanders around Thunderhead Keep for the next few days, drowning in her sorrows. Since everyone _expects _her to - it is, apparently, different when someone you _didn't_ have a psychic connection to dies (not counting Mordremoth, obviously) - she might as well, and allow herself a chance to wallow in grief for everyone else, too.

Just as she is sitting in a corner exactly one day after the failed Kralkatorrik battle, in the middle of despairing over killing the Elder Dragons without Eir's immense strategy, but pretending to be moaning about Aurene, to keep up appearances because Caithe is doing the exact same thing five feet away, Canach walks up.

Now, Canach, for whatever reason, sees through her more than anyone else tends to do, except Logan, and she had been avoiding them two like the plague for the last day or so.

He addresses Caithe, though. "Do you feel it?" he drawls.

"Feel what? Aurene's death?" Caithe asks emptily.

"No, the Call," Canach huffs.

Tiffany barely has time to remember that she shouldn't be thinking about Mordremoth right now before she is up on her feet and looking around wildly. "I thought - "

"Commander!" Canach sighs in exasperation, reminding Tiffany of the _last_ time he'd pulled this prank.

"Right," she says. "So, who's calling you this time?"

"The Pale Tree," Canach replies.

"Oh, I feel it now," Caithe realizes. "Yes, we are being summoned. She has something of exceeding importance for us. You should come too, Commander."

"Alright," Tiffany sighs. Talking about Mordremoth and the Pale Tree and sylvari in general reminds her of Trahearne, and so she is thinking about him all the way to the Grove. She had been having an emotional flip-flop of a day, slightest things reminding her of different people who had died - Aurene getting the bigger portion, of course, with Caithe right there.

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

Okay, turns out it's a two-shot.

Also, Anet, the Commander's best friend died to Mordremoth at the end of HoT and she never mourned him? Whaaaat?


	2. Chapter 2: The Firstborn

REAWAKENING

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Summary: The Dusk Firstborn have come, and Night will return; Dawn is absent, but Noon shall follow.

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Chapter two: The Firstborn

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

The Summary is quite vague on purpose, because otherwise spoilers for the story, but it is loaded with hints... because fun.

And I think the following line has gotten meaningless through overuse, don't you agree?

_**Okay, here's the story now.**_

* * *

They arrive at the Grove towards evening. The Pale Tree's avatar, for once, is _not_ in the Omphalos Chamber. She leads them to the place where new sylvari are awakened.

"Mother," Caithe says uncertainly, "no sylvari have awakened since the ones right after Mordremoth's death."

'_And Trahearne's!_' Tiffany shouts mentally. '_Does the first sylvari dying have something to do with no new sylvari?_' she wonders.

The Avatar nods. "Mordremoth's presence in the Dream - however suppressed - has been blocking one of my innate abilities. I have been carefully guiding the Dreams of these sylvari since the last awakening. There are only four, but they will not need Menders or people to help them interpret their Wyld Hunts."

"Whyever not?" Canach asks, irresistibly curious.

"Is the Dream clearer now?" Caithe wonders.

"No; for normal saplings, the Dream remains the same, if perhaps slightly clearer; but not to this degree." The Pale Tree seems overjoyed. "Ah, look; the first of the new saplings - although if you call them saplings, they might get offended - are awakening."

Tiffany looks on curiously as the first pod begins to open. And then, she goes into shock and does not remember anything for several minutes.

"Commander?" says a familiar voice, jolting Tiffany back into awareness. She blinks, clearing her vision, and looks to see Trahearne in front of her, if looking remarkably confused and confuddled, as admittedly she would be, too, in his situation... whatever that situation is. But it's certainly quite odd.

"Trahearne?" she asks, just to make sure it is him and not an illusion.

He rubs the back of his neck - a very unique Trahearne thing, in Tiffany's opinion - and that confirms it for her, even though he obviously didn't do it on purpose.

"What is going on?" Canach asks, sarcastic tone even thicker than before, although Tiffany suspects he is just hiding his true emotions, not that she has any idea what those might be.

"Isn't it clear?" Caithe whispers, her eyes shining. "The souls - and memories, most likely - of dead sylvari are being reborn."

"Hey," Tiffany inserts, feeling slightly irritated at Caithe for talking over Trahearne's head. She addresses him directly. "I haven't seen you in three years," she informs him, but unable to keep a smile from blossoming on her face.

Suddenly, she realizes that he is alive now. She unbuckles Caladbolg's sheath from its place on her back and offers it, blade and all, to him. "This is your weapon," she informs him gravely.

"Take it, my son," the Avatar says. "It is rightfully yours."

Trahearne takes the blade, almost wonderingly, and straps the sword-belt on.

Tiffany smiles. It seems much more natural on him than on her. And then she hugs him, letting the tears show. "I missed you," she whispers fiercely.

Then, she stands back, suddenly angry. "And don't you _ever_ do that to me again!" she says, shaking her finger at him.

He has the grace to look quite abashed. "It needed to be done," he says.

Tiffany huffs at him. "I heard that already," she grumbles. "I want to hear you say that you'll never say that again, since there's absolutely _no_ way it'll _ever_, in _any_ circumstances, be neccessary again."

"Isn't that confirmation enough?" Canach asks.

"No! Well, technically yes," Tiffany sighs, "but my heart needs to hear it, not my head."

Trahearne smiles. "As you wish, Commander Tiffany. I will never tell you to kill me again."

Tiffany smiles brilliantly. "You need to smile more often," she informs him. "You've come back from the dead, if you can't smile there's something seriously wrong with you."

"Commander, he hasn't stopped smiling since you hugged him," Canach informs her.

"I know," Tiffany nods. "That's good."

"You seem suddenly very protective," Caithe comments. "What with Trahearne outranking you and all."

Tiffany pauses to consider. "Actually, he doesn't," she realizes. "Logan is Marshal now, and I kinda resigned from the Pact."

"You... what?" Trahearne seems unable to formulate a response.

"General Almorra told me that the Pact had all decided you have a big problem," Tiffany explains. "Thay all think you're at fault for, and I quote, 'running off into battle and getting yourself killed,' endquote. So they said, as Commander, I could lead the Pact, except now, apparently, the rank of Marshal consists of an office in Lion's Arch, safely away from heroically demoralizing deaths. Which I promptly declined."

"In that case, I quite agree with you," Trahearne nods. "How is Logan doing as Marshal?"

"A fair job," Tiffany sighs, "although personally, I want to cry every time I hear 'Marshal Thackeray.' Youch."

"Really? You never said that," Caithe points out.

Tiffany's eyes widen. "Oops."

"Commander, what's the secret?" Canach probes.

Tiffany looks to Trahearne for help. He shrugs. "I've been dead the last three years."

"Commander?" Caithe asks sternly.

"Alright, I'm not the perfect, fierce, unbeatable leader everyone thinks I am," Tiffany scowls. "In reality, I'm an emotional wreck from having so many people die on my watch and being unable to let off any steam because if I do, well... stuff will happen."

Caithe nods as if everything makes a lot more sense. "That explains why you seem to be a hard, unfeeling rock."

"That's what happens when you bottle it all up," Canach informs her.

"But you're still an awesome Commander," Caithe points out. "If you weren't, you'd have turned into Zojja toward Eir for the first five years after Snaff."

"Or Braham toward you after the whole Mordremoth thing was over with," Canach adds.

"Oh, speaking of Snaff and Braham and implied reference to Eir," Tiffany realizes. "Did I ever tell you about the time that Snaff - "

Caithe frowns hard at Tiffany. "I'm quite sure there's nothing you could know about Snaff that I don't," she points out.

"Ah yes, but unless Braham or Taimi or Aurene or Koss or Kossan told you," Tiffany says smugly, "you've not heard of the time Kralkatorrik opened a rift in the Mists and Eir and Snaff came out and shocked Braham to his core and let Taimi be a fangirl. And then told Aurene to kill Kralkatorrik. And," she turns her gaze to Trahearne, "I was _waiting_ for you to come out, as well. And you didn't."

"He wasn't in the Mists," the Avatar points out. "He was in the Dream."

"And how was I supposed to know that?" Tiffany scowls. "I was sad all day after."

"And yet you still managed to at least try attempting to talk to Braham, and were still functioning as well as normal," Caithe points out.

"Yeah, I was kinda used to being sad by then," Tiffany grumps. "It's going to be a weird change - but an absolutely good one, since we kind of just failed to kill Kralkatorrik the other day. And Aurene died."

"Who is Aurene?"

"The dragon that hatched out of Glint's egg that I have a weird psychic connection to, and I know half the Pact is wondering if she's corrupted me. At least until she corrupted Caithe."

"She what!" Trahearne yelps.

"Canach said, 'great, another dragon that can corrupt sylvari,' and for once I wanted to argue with him," Tiffany points out helpfully. "Because she _so_ did not corrupt Caithe - what did you say, Caithe, it's not corruption, it's... umm..."

"Connection," Caithe reminds her.

"For the record, that did not help _at all_," Canach informs her. "Given Mordremoth."

"And so, Mordremoth _continues_ to have a lasting impact upon the world, despite some... drastic measures," Tiffany huffs.

"He wouldn't not," Trahearne points out. "He's an Elder Dragon."

"Oh good!" Tiffany says. "I thought I was the only one." Then, she realizes how absurd that sounds.

"...What?"

"That called Mordremoth 'he' instead of 'it,' like is normal for Elder Dragons," Tiffany clarifies.

"Oh, _that's_ better," Canach informs her. "I thought you said you were an Elder Dragon."

"No thanks," Tiffany says, glancing at Trahearne. "I've had enough of that for one lifetime."

"And two lifetimes' worth of time," the Avatar says happily.

Tiffany nods. "I just wish everyone else could come back, too," she sighs. "I just don't know that many dead sylvari. By Grenth, change that to 'I don't know _any_ dead sylvari.'" Tiffany grins. "Good to have you back, Trahearne. Would you like to join Dragon's Watch, the new guild I founded after leaving the Pact, or do you want to be Marshal again? I'm sure Logan wouldn't mind, not to mention the Pact itself."

"It's a bit early to decide," Trahearne notes. "I think I'll wait to speak to the heads of the Orders again."

"Oh, fun!" Tiffany remarks. "Last time that happened, we killed an Elder Dragon! And we haven't killed any Elder Dragons since you died, just Balthazar and Palawa Joko."

"That is quite a big achievement, on its own," Trahearne informs her. "Why Balthazar?"

Tiffany brightens. "I'll get to tell you everything we've done since you died, won't I?"

Canach frowns. "That's a good thing? I would think it tiring to repeat vital facts of history as if teaching a sapling."

"But I _like_ repeating myself," Tiffany protests. "And I rarely get the chance to do so, since everybody listens the first time, for some reason."

"For some reason," Canach repeats in disbelief. "Did you hear that?" he asks, turning to Caithe and Trahearne.

The two Firstborn nod in unison.

"She's quite... empty of herself," Caithe says.

"I hope that means the opposite of 'full of herself,' not, like, 'void of soul' or anything?" Tiffany asks.

"Of course, Commander," Canach informs her. Tiffany can't tell if he is being sarcastic or not.

"OH!" Tiffany realizes, smacking her forehead. "I can't believe I forgot!"

Canach holds up a hand, obviously trying to figure out what it is before she says it. "Killing the last mursaat? The fact that Caudecus the Wise turned out to be a White Mantle Confessor and corrupted with Bloodstone? The next time we kill an Elder Dragon, it'll destroy Tyria?"

"What?" Trahearne asks, startled, but Canach goes on.

"The fact that Balthazar figured out how to make twisted Exalted called the Forged that we spent a year battling? The fact that Joko took immense delight in brutally torturing innocents that were illusioned to look like you? The fact that you and Braham bonded over his spelling ability? Aurene ate Joko?"

"If you're going chronologically, you passed it up," Tiffany notes, amused.

"Kormir and the Six left Tyria? Kralkatorrik absorbed Balthazar's magic? Kralkatorrik is vulnerable to it's own magic? Oh wait, everyone knew that already. Kralkatorrik's lieutenants can Brand things, too? Joko unleashed the Scarab Plague? The fact that Glint's first scion, Vlast, died to protect you from Baltha - oh."

"Yes, 'oh,'" Tiffany says, wounded. "I died. Balthazar killed me. You were _there_, Canach... Kormir's truth, I thought you'd have remembered my dead body suddenly reanimating itself. 'Cause that's what happened, honestly."

"Tell us what happened, Commander?" Caithe asks. "You've never said what did happen."

"I died, forgot who I was and all that, didn't know my own name, went through all the turning points in my life - coincidentally," she remarks to Trahearne, "you were in quite a few of them - and killed something that was eating souls that would give my body power to come back to life. And Joko was there and gave me the idea to steal his army."

"Steal... an army?" Trahearne asks skeptically.

"That's exactly what Rytlock said!" Tiffany says, pointing at him. "I just killed and impersonated their leader and made all his Awakened - which are pretty much self-aware Risen, imagine that - follow me into battle to fight Balthazar. Joko was furious. And so was Balthazar; he thought I was still dead."

"I suppose if you'd gotten Kasmeer to cast an illusion and make yourself look like our esteemed Pact leader, here, you could have led the Pact quite easily," Canach comments. "Prior to telling them the truth, of course."

"That's not funny," Tiffany says firmly.

"It isn't, actually," Trahearne agrees.

"Oh oh oh oh!" Tiffany squeals. "The _other_ thing that happened that I know you'll find _very_ interesting! Kralkatorrik has been opening holes in the Mists!" at the others' silence, she confides, "if Taimi was here, she'd know _exactly_ what I was talking about. That, or she'd start spouting technological babble."

"Why would I be specifically interested in holes in the Mists?" Trahearne wonders.

"_Because_," Tiffany declares grandly, "there's weird stuff going on! Literally, there's an area that's out of this world. Literally. There's a piece of the Maguuma Jungle - chak and all - in the Crystal Desert."

"You forgot the - _oh_," Caithe realizes. "I'll let you tell it."

Tiffany grins. "Yes, I forgot the fragment of history that's sitting in the middle of the Jahai Bluffs."

"Let me guess; Orrian history," Trahearne says dryly.

"Yup yup yup!" Tiffany smiles. "Specifically, the middle of a battle between humans and charr, right by the Vizier's tower."

Trahearne blinks once. "Oh!"

"Yep! The last line is 'and I will chase it back to you.'"

Trahearne blinks again. "That changes the whole meaning!"

"That's what Taimi said," Tiffany nods. "I heard it was your favorite."

Trahearne nods. "Can I see it?"

"We'll have to go there, first, and it's in the Crystal Desert," Tiffany informs him. "But yes, of course!"

"Wait, my children," the Pale Tree tells them. "There are more."

Tiffany closes her eyes, turns around, and thumps her head on a tree. Actually, probably part of the Pale Tree, but that's irrelevant. "I can't _believe_ I forgot," Tiffany groans, turning around again. "That should teach my head a lesson."

"Is this normal?" Trahearne asks Caithe.

"Probably for her," Canach observes.

"Here she comes," the Avatar informs them.

Another pod slowly opens, and out steps Faolain. Caithe's eyes widen.

"Is that what I did when you... awakened?" Tiffany asks Trahearne.

"Yes," Canach sighs. "That is not what concerns me, however."

Faolain looks around, her face breaking into glee. "Why, Caithe, dearheart, how nice to see you. Will you finally accept Mordremoth's embrace?"

Tiffany's eyes widen at the same time as the sylvari, including the Avatar, go rigid. She knows - just _knows_, somehow - that Mordremoth is back. Must be an aftereffect of going into his mind.

"No!" she screams, launching herself at the source - Faolain, she knows it the same way she knows Mordremoth is back - before she remembers Trahearne has Caladbolg now. So, she punches Faolain in the face, sending her stumbling backward.

Trahearne straightens, the momentary distraction of Mordremoth's current host enough to let him regain control, and he draws Caladbolg and ends Faolain.

Caithe, Canach, and the Pale Tree relax.

Tiffany is trembling with mixed fear, relief, and rage. If Mordremoth had gained control of one other sylvari - they _are_ in the Grove - before Faolain could be killed, Mordremoth could have escaped back to his jungle.

Caithe swallows sharply. "Why Faolain? I can't imagine a single reason Mordremoth would return with her, particularly if he didn't return with Trahearne."

"I'm sorry, Caithe, but I think Faolain willingly joined the dragon." Tiffany had always suspected it, but she'd not mentioned it since it couldn't be proven and would only be another rift.

"That was... unsettling," Canach announces. "Mother, I sincerely hope you do not plan on awakening any more Mordrem Guard?"

"Hey, that's not fair," Tiffany interjects. "Not all of them turned willingly; all things have a right to grow, except Mordremoth of course."

"No worries," the Avatar informs them. "We have you here to ensure things do not get out of control."

"And that almost turned sour," Tiffany points out.

"You're contradicting yourself," Caithe tells her.

"We need more time and information," Trahearne speaks up. "And we need to be prepared."

"However," the Avatar interjects, "I am preserving the generational divides, and I do not believe any more Firstborn had any contact with Mordremoth."

"If you must," Canach sighs. "But at least we will be better prepared. If you must know, Commander, Mordremoth's best weapons are doubt and surprise."

"Surprise," Tiffany nods. "I'd wondered how so many could have turned during the crash."

"Oh wait," Caithe realizes, as another pod starts quivering. "If we're in the Cycle of Dusk... Kahendins isn't dead, meaning we're in the Cycle of Night now. And the only dead Firstborn Night bloom is..."

"Wynne," Trahearne finishes.

"She died in the early years, right?" Canach checks. "She can't have had any connection to Mordremoth."

Tiffany and Caithe glance at each other, then swiftly look away.

"I saw that," Canach pokes. "What's up?"

"Let's just say..." Caithe says slowly, "Wynne is to me as Trahearne is to Tiffany."

Trahearne blinks. "Wait, you mean - "

"Yes," Caithe sighs. "_Including_ the fact that it was related to Mordremoth."

"And you knew about this?" Canach asks Tiffany.

"It was kind of the Pale Tree's fault for giving me Caithe's memory seeds without telling me what was in them," Tiffany protests. "Although - "

"Wynne is reawakening," the Pale Tree interrupts.

Wynne steps out and looks around. She doesn't notice Caithe yet. Wynne seems overcome by wonder. "It's been so long," she whispers, stretching her arms over her head. "So _free_."

Caithe, who'd been slightly stunned, despite the warning, is broken out of it by Wynne's words. Wynne notices Caithe, and her eyes widen. "The secret?" she whispers. "Is it - did you - "

"For many years, sister," Caithe says softly. "And now, Mordremoth is dead."

Joy lights up Wynne's face like never before, and she hugs Caithe. "How did it go?" she asks. "And who is this?" she gestures toward Tiffany.

The sylvari all sigh.

"You've been dead for twenty-nine years, my child," the Avatar informs Wynne. "Your siblings have made some new friends. This is the Pact Commander, Tiffany Solestrider."

'_Oh, no._' Tiffany thinks to herself. '_Has it come to this? Introducing me to a dead person first as 'Pact Commander' despite the fact that a) Wynne has been dead for twenty-nine years and b) I'm technically not the Commander anymore!_' She smiles at Wynne nontheless. "Hello. I've heard all about you from Caithe."

"Have you?" Wynne smiles. "She used to be quite a Night bloom; all secretive and cautious."

Tiffany laughs. "She still is. I only found out what happened by viewing her memory."

"I see," Wynne nods. "I hope it was neccessary?"

"Quite neccessary, and a little too late," Canach inserts. "Although it might have alerted our illustrious Commander to the lengths needed to go to in order to deal with Mordremoth."

"What, was my death some sort of omen?" Wynne wonders.

"No, I just had literally the same exact experience with Trahearne," Tiffany says dryly. "I doubt either of you have the faintest idea what doing... _that_ is like."

"And neither of you two have the slightest idea what asking for it is like," Wynne returns.

Tiffany blinks. "Hm. Now I have to think about that. In-depth think about it. Like - "

"Oh no," Caithe mumbles.

"What?" Trahearne asks curiously.

"Let's just say, if she was sylvari she would have been Dusk," Canach sighs. "Only she does her thinking out loud."

"I'm sure that's the _only_ reason I ever got along so well with Dusk blooms," Tiffany says, grinning at Trahearne. "Our mutual fondness of _thinking_. Uncomfortable truths about Mordremoth aside."

"Not when we only noticed it _after_ Mordremoth," Caithe reminds them.

"Well, now we've discovered an endless well of something we both like doing; thinking. It's one of those rare things," Tiffany grins.

"Dusk blooms aren't the only ones who like thinking," Wynne inserts. "Or even sylvari at all, as your Duskiness is proving."

Tiffany grins. "Oh, most certainly. I know several deep thinkers - though they mostly tend to end up dead. Trahearne being one example, Eir another." She frowns. "Will the spirits of norn suddenly start walking the land once we kill Jormag?"

"That's a... curious idea," Trahearne notes. "Although, unless Jormag is somehow linked to norn the way Mordremoth was linked to sylvari, I don't see much possibility of that happening."

"But Jormag killed several of the Spirits of the Wild," Tiffany recalls. "Maybe when we kill Jormag, they'll be released and all the Spirits together can work their magic."

Wynne frowns, thinking about something else. "What happened to Faolain?" she asks.

"Mordremoth killed her," Caithe tells her.

"Technically, Caithe killed her, but Mordremoth took her mind first," Tiffany volunteers. "About three years ago, about an hour before Mordremoth's own death. See," she says to Trahearne, "I still don't like saying it out loud, so I always say _Mordremoth_'s dead, because both happened at the same exact time and I am - or was - a bit touchy on the subject."

"I completely understand," Trahearne nods.

"And then she reawakened," Canach says to Wynne. "And Mordremoth came back, so Tiffany and Trahearne took her down before he could become the monster he was before." He shoots Tiffany a disgruntled look, as if _he_ wanted to do the taking down this time.

"Ho, look at that!" Tiffany notes. "Tiffany and Trahearne killed Mordremoth. _Twice_. And both times, I needed to kill a sylvari."

"Commander Tiffany, also known as the person who connects the oddest things in the world," Canach observes. "And without the slightest hint of emotion."

"See," Tiffany explains, "I experience emotion when I hear things and when I see things. If it's just words, it doesn't register as much. Words equal logic, and images equal emotion. I'm the weirdest person in the world. Ehh, maybe not. I know I would never... oh Grenth, maybe I _would_ ask somebody to kill me if it meant taking down an Elder Dragon. MORE food for thought, thanks a lot, Trahearne." She pretends to sulk, but Trahearne sees right through her.

"Actually, it was Wynne that brought up Faolain, you that brought up her death, Canach mentioned her reawakening, you spoke of both the times killing Mordremoth, Canach introduced you oddly, and your own thought processes led you where you wound up." Trahearne smirks at her - an odd look on Trahearne - and finishes, "I had nothing to do with it at all."

"You had to do with the thought processes which led me there," Tiffany points out. "Those same thought processes - half of which are subconscious, I might add - have had me ignoring the literal elephant in the room, even though we're on the topic."

"To wit, Faolain's cooling corpse," Canach puts in succinctly.

"Oh!" Wynne says, noticing the body for the first time. "Fast reflexes; she's still in her pod."

"I suppose it would be beyond realistic to assume you feel bad for her dying?" Tiffany notes. "Given that she did want to torture the secret of the sylvari out of you with burning nettles or something."

"Bristleburn nettles, yes," Wynne nods. "Particularly since she was already dead to begin with, so she was living on borrowed time when you killed her."

"And she wasn't really still in her pod - she'd just stepped out - but I distracted her by punching her in the face because Trahearne has Caladbolg now. She must have stumbled back."

"Implying you had Caladbolg?" Wynne wonders.

"Oh, yes," Tiffany says ruefully. "Trahearne went a step further than you did and told me which weapon to use to kill him, and of course he chose his own blade that I then was kind of emotionally obligated to wield to remember him by. Quite a legacy, Marshal," she informs him.

"Didn't Riannoc's squire run off with Caladbolg?" Wynne frowns.

"Oooh! Riannoc was Firstborn, right?" Tiffany checks. "He should be reawakening, too. And, to answer your question, Wynne, yes he did, and I don't know the particulars but it was recovered somehow and your Mother gave it to Trahearne about a day before we killed one of Zhaitan's lieutenants and started marching on Orr. We did kill Zhaitan, too, and Trahearne used Caladbolg to cleanse Orr." She smiles brilliantly at him.

Wynne tilts her head to the side. "You seem to know a great deal about sylvari history," she remarks.

"Well, half the stuff I just told you I was literally _there_ for, and the other half, well, the sylvari have only been around for so long, and only have so much history. And I've been into the Dream once, into Mordremoth's mind once, which was kind of inside the Dream, and so I'm kind of considering myself at least honorary sylvari by now. And Caithe said I was, too."

"Did I?"

"Yes, right after we killed Zhaitan, during that celebration at Fort Trinity. Something about helping people complete their Wyld Hunts."

"I remember now," Caithe nods.

"Speaking of Fort Trinity," Tiffany tells Trahearne, "I realized how much you love that old airship docked there."

"How so?"

"Well, I was feeling all lost and lonely right after you died, and so I was kind of looking for you in Fort Trintiy - because if you were anywhere, you'd be in Fort Trinity - and the first place I checked was the airship. And, of course, you weren't there, and I didn't look anywhere else, because if you're looking for Trahearne, he's on the airship. Every time. I even entertained the notion once, while we were chasing down your prison caravan in the Maguuma Jungle, of going back to Fort Trinity and checking, just to make sure you weren't on _that_ airship during the crash instead."

"You have more of a thing for airships than I thought you did," Canach remarks to him. "And you, Commander, are more prone to ridiculous ideas than I thought."

"I just don't say most of them," Tiffany nods. "But I'm happy right now because Trahearne isn't dead anymore - and isn't that phrase weird - so my subconscious is off its game."

Wynne tilts her head at Tiffany. "You are very interesting."

"Interesting," Tiffany repeats. "Well, that's something to consider. _Interesting_. Huh."

Wynne seems amused. "What were we talking about before?"

Tifany sinks into thought for a moment. "Caladbolg!" she remembers. "And its history."

Trahearne frowns. "Speaking of Caladbolg, it... feels different."

"Yes... well, it was kind of broken. Ridhais helped me heal it."

"How does that work?" Wynne asks interestedly.

"Well, first I had to find all the broken pieces of it. That was weird, because it made me realize that bits of it were dropping off all during the Mordremoth Disaster. Then I had to find an Orb of Natural Essence and a Vision Crystal. Those were hard to get, but I got them. And then Ridhais told me that Caladbolg wanted to test me or something, which made a lot of sense, and so Caladbolg gave me visions - I think they were Caladbolg's memories or something - where I had to duel visions of Riannoc and Trahearne."

"I've always wondered how a duel between us would go," Trahearne comments.

"And that's what memory-you said, as well," Tiffany nods. "The whole experience was surreal and emotionally confusing for me. And then Ridhais told me there was one last step to finish healing it. And you know, I'd had to go to specific locations for the visions. And when she told me where to go for the last one, I felt so stupid."

At the questioning looks, she elaborates, "I should have _known_ we would go to the Artesian Waters to heal Caladbolg. I mean, I seriously _should have known_."

"Why, what is the Artesian Waters?" Wynne asks.

"The Source of Orr," Trahearne informs her. "I took Caladbolg there to cleanse Orr."

"Ohh," Wynne realizes. "I see. And Tiffany was with you?"

"Somebody had to hold off the Risen," Tiffany shrugs. "Wouldn't do to have him die in the middle of completing his Wyld Hunt, after all. He wouldn't have been around to keep leading the Pact against Zhaitan, not that it took much more."

"Well, congratulations on the completion of your Wyld Hunt, Trahearne," Wynne tells him. "What about you, Caithe?"

"I've been running around trying to kill dragons all my life," Caithe says dryly. "Apparently all I had to do was kill the right Elder Dragon, which happened to be Zhaitan."

"Zhaitan is dead? And Mordremoth? You really have been working hard."

"Kralkatorrik has eluded my grasp twice now," Caithe sighs. "Both times at the cost of a dear friend's life."

"I am sorry," Wynne says sincerely.

"Children," the Avatar says. "Another awakens."

"But..." Caithe frowns. "There are no more Firstborn Night blooms that have died. It is certainly not Dawn yet."

"My child, if I stayed true to the cycles and generations, there would be many years before I could resume awakening new saplings. The Dream is a mystery, but it does seem to have its own purpose and intent."

"There aren't any dead Firstborn Dawn blooms, either," Canach notes. "This one would have to be Noon."

"That would be Riannoc," Wynne recalls. Then, she frowns. "What will become of Caladbolg?"

"To avoid any confusion, let us let the passing-on of the weapon remain intact," the Avatar decides. "Which means you, Commander Tiffany."

Tiffany sighs. "But I don't... I'm not even a sylvari! And I already passed it back to Trahearne, anyway."

"Good, it's settled," Canach grumbles. "It is honestly tiring watching you all fight over who _doesn't_ get a perfectly good blade."

"That's because _you_ are a hilarious silly-head," Tiffany informs him.

"Hey!" Canach yelps, but the Avatar shushes them both.

"Riannoc is reawakening."

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

I cut the chapter here because I have never met Riannoc... except for that one instance reforging Caladbolg. So I don't know how he acts or anything... whereas I have at least a vague impression of Wynne. I think you see a memory of him or something in the sylvari personal story, though, so I'll update when I do that in five levels.

And if I _don't_ see any more of him than I have already, I'll do my best, because he's probably going to be interesting.


End file.
